I walked onto campus last night to begin my work at Lewis & Clark College. As I met with the new collegiate orchestra players, I felt the memories from my own college years come flooding back, the good the bad, and
“Listen! You smell something?”
Ghostbusters. What an awesome movie. In the library scene quoted above, Ray (but not Peter or Egan) is experiencing an “orienting response”. His body stills, his breath quiets, and his attention is highly focused. These are the same physiological responses that accompany inspired experiences that I’ve
What’s behind inspired music?
Something weird about me: In the midst of glorious music, my breath often stops on its own. I’m not purposefully holding my breath—I’m just moved to stillness. I feel a resonance that would rather not be disturbed by breath. My body doesn’t seem to
How to Make Sacred Music Truly Sacred
It was hot—really hot as I wound my way up the Historic Columbia River Highway to the Royal School of Church Music Retreat. The river glistened in the evening light as I entered the beautiful grounds of the Menucha Retreat Center in Corbett,
What legacies are YOU carrying?
I was caught red handed—the huge serving spoon had disappeared completely into my mouth. “You’re just like your father!” “Thank you!” I love my dad. But then I had to wonder…. If I’m carrying stuff from my dad, and he is carrying stuff from his dad, how
How do I know if I am inspired?
For me, it all comes down to three things: A deep enjoyable stillness in my breathing and heart that continually invites me deeper. A presence of clarity and energy that keeps me going without fatigue. A concentrated energy in the prefrontal
The 5 major advantages I will have in my audition
I have a huge audition coming up for a full-time position at the Oregon Symphony. The audition will bring over 100 very capable cellists from all over the country to audition. We will all play behind a screen for the prelims
Don’t let your ______ hold you back
What word fills in your blank? fear past failures self-imposed limitations attachments past habits preconceptions instrument talent situation relationships I was wailing away on a friend’s cello when suddenly he said – “There! Stop! Now play that exact same passage on your own instrument with
How much should you CARE about your audience?
Your SHOULD care. A LOT. Here’s why: When your audience knows who you are, and that you care about them, then they care about what you know. Even though this is a philosophy in public speaking, it still resonates deeply in the music
Get your breath, then your heart, THEN your head in the game
“Get your head in the game!” I grew up as a successful competitive swimmer under a coach of supreme intensity. We never lost a meet, but I rarely enjoyed them. I was under relentless pressure to do better. No matter how much I tried,